A Guide To Love For A Bozo

2- Only kiss someone who'll take your breath away

Ruby floated on her back and stared up into the clear blue sky. She could hear the soft lapping of the waves around her. The cool water cooled her back which was a contrast to the hot sun which shone down onto her face. Ruby closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the salty air. It was peaceful and the only noises apart from the waves were the occasional calls from a bird flying by. Well, that was until she heard the splashing of someone behind her. She turned and saw Clancy looking at her with a lopsided grin. His dirty blonde hair was damp and covered his eyes a bit. She swam towards him and pushed his hair back. Smiling the whole time.

"You hungry?" Clancy asked and she couldn't help but notice how his voice was deeper compared to when he was that boy who was freaking out about swimming in the sea. Yet, here he was swimming in the sea without a care.

"Yeah, why not?"

She glanced down to her wrist to check the time. Her Bradly Baker had been replaced with an ordinary wrist watch. Well, one that was waterproof and glows in the dark. It had been one of the many gifts people had given her when she left Spectrum. Sometimes, she missed it though. Not just the missions and the adrenaline that would pump through her every time she escaped death. But the people she had met the people who she had worked with. When she declared that she'd leave people were shocked, said that they'd miss her, even Foghorn. Hitch soon stopped being the butler/ household manager. He had been assigned to another mission somewhere classified. Ruby knew that once he was gone he was gone forever. She had no photos of him. Soon she'd have no memory of him.

She had left because she realised that she wanted to enjoy some aspects of life that she couldn't before, and she felt that she might not be able to cheat death another time. Even though she had left, she knew she would still be part of Spectrum at heart. There's no such thing as an ex-agent. Once an agent always an agent. For experiences and secrets will never be forgotten.

Clancy had caught her staring at her watch again. He knew what she was thinking about. He knew how much she missed Hitch and the others. Ruby had been quiet and isolated herself when he left. It had taken a week for him to coax her out. He took her hand in his making her eyes snap up to his. She stared into his deep chocolate eyes, her vision started to blur. She blinked away her tears and gave him a small smile.

"Shall, we?" They swam back to the shore hand in hand.

When they reach the shore, they sat on the beach. Food completely gone from their minds. Ruby leant against Clancy, her head rested on his shoulder. Clancy remembered those times when they were the same height, at one point Ruby was taller than him. Yet, here she was a good head shorter than him. Or maybe he was a head taller. Clancy leant against the world and wrapped an arm Ruby, enjoying the feeling of her leaning on him.

Ruby closed her eyes, pulling her hoodie tighter around her. The day was coming to an end and the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Her hair was still damp with sea water. The cool breeze played with her hair and Clancy's arm was firmly wrapped around her waist. God, she missed him. She didn't see him for a whole week since he was at yet another conference with his Dad.

Ruby opened an eye to sneak a glance at Clancy. His hair was a mess, as usual, but to say the least, she found rather cute. His dirty blonde hair a contrast to the deep chocolate eyes which she had stared into a few too many times. His eyes were focussed on the horizon, she averted her eyes out to the sea too. The sun was much lower in the sky now, the sky was no longer a clear blue but a mix of orange and purple mixed together. There were a few wisps of clouds, illuminated by the setting sun.

~

"No, way!" Ruby exclaimed, bursting into laughter. Clancy was telling her about how his younger sister, Olive, had put a beetle in one of the guests drink.

"He drank the whole thing, including the beetle!" They were currently sat on Ruby's roof staring up into the night sky. The stars twinkled like glitter, spread across the dark blue sky. "I need to be home soon, it's nearly 10:30," Clancy said reluctantly.

Ruby nodded in reply and they climbed back into Ruby's room. They walked back down the stairs to the front door in a comfortable silence. Walkling closer together than two friends would. She opened the door letting the cold night air flow in. Clancy hugged Ruby tightly and reluctantly let go of her. Before he fully let go of her, Ruby sneaked in a kiss. Clancy kissed back almost immediately. He could smell that flowery perfume she had started wearing and he entangled his hands in her shoulder length hair.

When they pulled away they were both panting from the lack of air. 

"You just literally took my breath away," Ruby whispered into the night air.